1Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to the arrangement of musical compositions, and more particularly, to the automated creation of customized music arrangements based upon ensemble size, instrumentation, and performer proficiency levels.
2. Background of Related Art
Musical arrangements are fixed documents written for specific instrumentations. For instance, arrangements may be written for orchestral, concert band, jazz big band, jazz combo, or chamber ensembles. Arrangements, also known as scores, are prepared based upon the assumption that the ensemble has specific instruments, and that the players are at the same playing level. Further, written arrangements can require that critical parts be played by specific instruments. Generally, the arrangement is selected and/or purchased by a musical arrangement user, such as a band director, conductor, or producer.
In practice, most ensembles do not meet the exact requirements of the arrangement. For example, the ensemble may have different types and numbers of instruments than those called for by the arrangement, and may include players having disparate proficiency levels. In cases where the ensemble lineup differs from that which is called for by the musical arrangement, the outcome will not be optimal. For instance, the melody or harmony parts might not be played by anyone, the bass part or counterpoints may be lacking, and musicians may be given parts that they are incapable of playing. In ensembles consisting of players with varying capabilities, if the user purchases a musical arrangement designed for higher proficiency level players, the inferior players' weaknesses will be highlighted. If the user purchases an arrangement designed for lower proficiency players, the better players will not be able to showcase their talents.
Consequently, musical arrangement users are typically required to manually revise scores to accommodate the instruments available and the capability of the players. Users may be required to move lead parts to strong players, and create easy parts for less capable ones. Parts for unavailable instruments may be given to other instruments, and may require rewriting to accommodate the characteristics (such as timbre and key) of the substitute instrument. This process requires a high degree of skill, can be time consuming, and may cause frustration after already having made an investment in purchasing the arrangement. In some cases, ensemble users may lack the skills to rewrite the fixed musical arrangement, therefore they are limited in their options and often end up with less than optimal results.